Seven vs. Seven Mixed Match

Feeling the warmth of Lin Shuo's palm, Huo Yu'er's face flushed slightly. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, signaling that she was fine.

Dai Yueheng's gaze remained fixed on Lin Shuo. He had long heard of the feud between Lin Shuo and Dai Huabin, and Dai Huabin had even approached him about it previously.

However, it was precisely because he was in the Inner Court that he understood how highly the academy regarded Lin Shuo. Fearing that it would affect his own standing, Dai Yueheng had blocked Dai Huabin's attempts at revenge.

After Dai Yueheng, a tall, slender male student with a gentle expression stepped forward. "Inner Court, Chen Zifeng, level 57 Assault System Battle Soul King. Martial Soul: Soul-Chasing Sword."

Following Chen Zifeng, a short-haired female student with an ordinary appearance walked out. "Inner Court, Xi Xi, level 56 Agility System Battle Soul King. Martial Soul: Lightning Leopard."

Xi Xi gave off a feeling of utter ordinariness, leaving no lasting impression on anyone.

After Xi Xi, a girl with a cold, aloof appearance stepped out. She was beautiful, with skin as pale as snow.

"Inner Court, Ling Luochen, level 55 Control System Battle Soul King. Martial Soul: Ice Element."

"Inner Court, Yao Haoxuan, level 55 Control and Support System Battle Soul King. Martial Soul: Sky-Shaking Ape." Yao Haoxuan was a short, thin male student with eyes that shone with piercing brilliance.

After Yao Haoxuan, the final male student, who possessed delicate and handsome features, stepped out.

"Inner Court, Gongyang Mo, level 59 Support System Battle Soul King. Martial Soul: Rainbow Dragon."

Although the Rainbow Dragon was a member of the dragon clan, it possessed no offensive capabilities; however, they possessed powerful support abilities. They usually appeared alongside a Dragon Queen.

Only powerful dragons would have a Rainbow Dragon by their side.

Gongyang Mo's eyes remained fixed on Lin Shuo. He could feel the excitement and agitation emanating from his own Martial Soul. He had long heard that Lin Shuo possessed a rare, world-class dragon Martial Soul. Now that he was face-to-face with him, that faint, imperceptible aura of a superior dragon made the blood in his entire body burn. Indeed, his reputation was well-deserved.

Elder Xuan nodded slightly, his cloudy eyes sweeping over the group. "Alright, you have all been briefly introduced. Your training task today is to hold a friendly match to understand each other's abilities. Xiaotao, you and Yueheng will each lead a team. Ma Xiaotao, your cultivation is the highest, so Dai Yueheng and Lin Shuo will be on the same team. Dai Yueheng, you may choose one more Inner Court teammate. Dai Yueheng, you choose first."

The Inner Court disciples looked at Lin Shuo with some surprise. They knew Lin Shuo was highly valued, but he was only a Soul Ancestor. They were shocked that Elder Xuan held him in such high regard. They were all Inner Court disciples, and the ability to enter the Inner Court meant they possessed extraordinary talent. In their view, no matter how the teams were picked, Dai Yueheng's side could not possibly defeat Ma Xiaotao. After all, Ma Xiaotao had five starting members on her side.

Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng stepped out, putting some distance between them.

Dai Yueheng did not hesitate for long. "For the starters, I choose Gongyang Mo. For the reserves, I choose Xu Sanshi."

Gongyang Mo stepped out from the ranks, his gaze lingering on Lin Shuo for a moment before he stood beside Dai Yueheng.

A bold, flamboyant smile tugged at the corners of Ma Xiaotao's mouth as she swept her gaze over the reserve disciples. "Bei Bei, Huo Yu'er."

As soon as these words were spoken, the starting disciples and Elder Xuan were somewhat surprised. Huo Yu'er had the lowest cultivation among the reserves present, and the remaining Jiang Nannan was a Soul Ancestor.

Huo Yu'er looked at Lin Shuo helplessly, her expression filled with regret and a mix of amusement—she had originally wanted to be on Lin Shuo's team. Meeting his gaze, she pursed her lips and silently mouthed, "Nothing I can do."

Lin Shuo curled his lips slightly and nodded at her, signaling that it was fine.

With the selections complete, the remaining members were automatically assigned to their respective teams.

Ma Xiaotao's team consisted of herself, Xi Xi, Ling Luochen, Yao Haoxuan, Chen Zifeng, Bei Bei, and Huo Yu'er.

Dai Yueheng's team consisted of himself, Lin Shuo, Gongyang Mo, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong'er.

On paper, the difference in strength was worlds apart.

Elder Xuan's aged voice rang out: "Then let us begin directly. There is no need to discuss tactics; actual combat is the best teacher."

"Begin!"

The moment the word fell, golden-red flames soared into the sky. Ma Xiaotao's figure transformed into a blazing meteor, charging straight toward Lin Shuo. Her intent was undisguised—break through Lin Shuo, the four-ringed soul master, first, then turn back to deal with Dai Yueheng. In front of a Soul Emperor, a level 44 Soul Ancestor was the most obvious weak point.

Just as Ma Xiaotao launched her attack, Xi Xi and Chen Zifeng, who were beside her, moved as well. Xi Xi's figure flickered and vanished into the glow of Ma Xiaotao's flames—the Lightning Leopard was a soul beast known for its speed, and even though her cultivation was lower than Ma Xiaotao's, in terms of pure speed, she was even faster. The golden-red fire became her perfect cover; no one could track her true path of assault.

A heaven-shaking roar erupted.

The thin Yao Haoxuan's body suddenly surged in size. His knotted muscles stretched his outer clothes to their limit, with only the highly elastic inner garment expanding along with his frame. In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a thin youth into a small, muscular giant, slamming his fists into the ground.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

First Soul Skill: Battle Intent.

Ling Luochen summoned her ice staff, blue soul power flickering in and out of existence.

"Buff me," Lin Shuo said coldly.

Gongyang Mo did not hesitate. A pair of rainbow-colored wings slowly unfolded behind him. The wings were so beautiful they seemed otherworldly, with seven-colored light flowing and intertwining across them, as if a rainbow had been cut into the shape of wings. As he flapped his wings and took flight, he looked like a rainbow rising from thin air, so dazzling that one could not look away.

The red power, orange soul, and yellow speed rings lit up simultaneously.

Four rainbow-like, brilliant beams of light descended from the sky, precisely enveloping Lin Shuo, Dai Yueheng, Jiang Nannan, and Xu Sanshi.

But Ma Xiaotao's fist had already arrived.

Her right fist was wrapped in the scorching flames of the Evil Fire Phoenix. Under the force of this punch, the air emitted a sharp hiss, distorted and warped by the extreme heat. Yao Haoxuan's Battle Intent buff had boosted her attack power once more; a hint of crimson appeared within the golden-red flames—the color of Battle Intent fused with evil fire.

Lin Shuo did not retreat. His first and second soul rings lit up beneath his feet.

Seven-colored light erupted from his body as the origin power surged from deep within Lin Shuo's bloodline. His frame did not expand, but his entire aura underwent a earth-shattering change in an instant. A faint seven-colored halo flowed across his skin; it was not a soul power barrier, but a sign that his physical body had been fully activated by his dragon bloodline. First Soul Skill: Seven-Colored Dragon Body.

Immediately following, the seven-colored light condensed on his skin, forming a layer of translucent armor. The dragon armor was not a heavy suit of full-body plate, but a streamlined suit of light that clung to his body, covering his chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Seven-colored light patterns flowed across the surface of the armor, breathing slowly as if it were a living thing. Second Soul Skill: Seven-Colored Dragon Armor—a purely defensive soul skill that externalized the power of dragon scales, its defensive capability far exceeding any shield-type soul skill of the same level.